Ariana Perez: Mercado Hilltop debuts in Annapolis with local produce and handmade crafts

By Ariana Perez

Capital Gazette|

Aug 17, 2019 | 1:20 PM

Pablo Duran stands with his son in front of the Old Willy’s coffee truck. Pablo owns the business and proudly sells artisan coffee from his home country Colombia. (Ariana Perez / Capital Gazette)

There are a couple of tents set up in the Salvation Army’s parking lot on Hilltop Lane displaying several different items and fresh produce for sale. Music is playing in the background while shoppers laugh, exchange conversations with the vendors and stroll through the lot.

Some stop at Sarah Hultz’s tent, where she is selling fresh peaches, large okras and colorful flowers while telling customers that all the produce is grown in her father’s farm, Zang’s Farm. Others stop by Adriana Geronimo’s tent, which has an array of hair bows with different designs - some sparkly, some with Disney cartoons. When people stop and look, she joyfully shares how she enjoys making these for young girls to make them feel like ‘princesses.’

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Those who are thirsty stop by the Colombian coffee truck where Pablo Duran and his son are making freshly ground coffee made to order — iced or hot. And those who are hungry walk across to Griselda, who’s frying fresh meat and preparing sopes, a Mexican dish made with corn dough.

These are just a few of the options offered to shoppers by Mercado Hilltop, an open-air market that debuted in Annapolis on Aug. 10 and will be open to the public every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. until September 28.

Griselda fries meat and prepares Mexican sopes, offering members of the community a taste of Mexican cuisine prepared by her catering business, El Sazoncito. (Ariana Perez / Capital Gazette)

The idea originated from a brainstorming session between Adriana Lee, Annapolis’ Hispanic community services specialist, and Cynthia Krewson, chair of the Art in Public Places Commission, who were discussing where they could put the old farmers market mural that had been taken down from the Fawcett’s building.

The idea of having a “farmers market” within walking distance from a Hispanic/Latino and African-American community turned their attention to Hilltop Lane.

“We wanted to make it more than a farmers market,” Krewson said. “I approached the Salvation Army and they became enthusiastic partners on this project and recognized its importance to the community.”

The market is in partnership with Center of Help, the Annapolis Art in Public Places Commission, the Salvation Army and the City of Annapolis. According to Captain Ryan Vincent, commanding officer of the Salvation Army of Annapolis and Southern Maryland, the partnership seemed to be a practical solution for food insecurity and a new method to engage with a community in need of an escape.

“The main goal of Mercado Hilltop is to address food insecurity and connect people with the resources they may not be aware of,” he said. “We want whole families to thrive and we’re trying to give a community that’s been through a lot recently some peace and fellowship.”

Similarly, the Center for Help got involved to help facilitate and promote the launch of the new idea. After being approached with the proposal, Sean Schneider, executive director at the Center of Help, supported the idea of bringing an open-air to the community. According to Schneider, Mercado Hilltop not only gives access to food and products, but it also simultaneously champions the pioneering spirit of the locals by giving them a platform where to thrive.

“It gives community members a chance to encourage their entrepreneurship and bring their unique flavors and crafts to the Annapolis community,” he said. “By having Mercado Hilltop over the span of eight weeks, this gives greater opportunity for community members to share their identity through food and crafts with each other, thus increasing understanding within our diverse community. We hope to increase understanding while helping with the economy of the area.”

Mercado Hilltop still has spaces available for local vendors who are interested in selling products to the community. Vendors who are interested in participating can contact Adriana Lee to rent a tent for one Saturday for $30, four Saturdays for $100 and eight Saturdays for $180. All vendors are welcomed, including those selling fruits, vegetables, packaged food, drinks, crafts, art, company promoting, clothes and more.

Krewson, who served as a Peace Corp volunteer earlier in her career, looks at Mercado Hilltop as a way to enrich the lives of citizens in Annapolis and offer a space where people can interact with one another and share a piece of their culture.